Meet the Team at the Peckar Eye Clinic

Mr Clive Peckar, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

Mr Clive Peckar attended St Thomas' Hospital Medical School, London University, gaining the Hudson Prize in Ophthalmology in 1971. He was Research Senior Registrar at the Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University leading to an MSc in 1983. He was appointed Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon to Warrington Hospital NHS Trust  in 1983. His surgical experience includes cataract surgery since 1973, corneal transplantation since 1975, phakoemulsification (small incision cataract surgery) since 1991, Viscocanalostomy (glaucoma surgery) since 1997 and Canaloplasty since 1995 (when Mr Peckar was responsible for the introduction of this procedure into the UK and Europe). His papers and publications have included work on ophthalmic lasers, corneal specular microsurgery including video training aids, surgical skill transfer in surgical simulation 'wet labs' and Schlemm's Canal Glaucoma Surgery (Viscocanalostomy and Canaloplasty).

Mr Peckar's practice covered all areas of general ophthalmology with special interests as previously detailed plus endothelial specular microscopy.

Mr Peckar was responsible for the design and establishment of the Warrington Microsurgical Teaching Centre - a 'wet lab' teaching area for the practice of ophthalmic surgery on porcine eyes.

Mr Peckar is a Director of the United Kingdom and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. He was Director of Surgical Skills Training for the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) 1999-2011 and was Medical Editor of EuroTimes, a monthly publication of the ESCRS, with a distribution of 41,000 copies, from1995-2015.

Special Awards
Pearce Medal Lecture (for Innovation) United Kingdom & Ireland Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons 2011.

Lifetime Achievement Award United Kingdom & Ireland Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons 2016.

Special Clinical Interests
Cataract, corneal endothelium, Schlemm's Canal Glaucoma Surgery .

Current Posts
Consultant Ophthalmologist at Spire Chesire Hospital, Cheshire, England, UK.
Honorary Professor of Ophthalmology at Shantou University Medical College, China and at Harbin Medical University, China.

Membership of professional, national and international bodies
Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Director of the United Kingdom and Ireland Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Member of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. Member of the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract & Refractve Surgeons.
Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.Member of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Contact Mr Clive Peckar

e-mail: clivepeckarl@peckareyeclinic.co.uk

Gordon Elliott,  Private Optometrist (Optician)

Gordon Elliott is Mr Peckar’s Private Optometrist at the Peckar Eye Clinic, Spire Cheshire Hospital.

For many patients Gordon is the first member of the team they meet when they attend the clinic. Gordon’s job is to check each patient’s refraction and to provide other measurements that Mr Peckar may need to help him decide on the treatment plan for each individual patient.

The following tests may be carried out depending on the patient’s problem: -

• Refraction: This tests the type of lenses the patient may need to achieve clear vision for different activities.
• Fields Test: This measures the extent of the patient’s peripheral vision “visual field” using the Humphrey Field Analyser.
• Endothelial Specular Microscopy: This measures the size and distribution of the cells on the back of the patient’s cornea which are responsible for keeping the patients vision clear.
• Elevation Scanning Topography: This maps out the total shape of the cornea and is like an aircraft flying over the hills and valleys “in order to produce a contour map”.
• Optical Biometry: This measures the size & shape of each eye in order to calculate the power of artificial lenses required, prior to surgery.
• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): This measures the size & cell layers of the Retina, in each eye, in order to be able to measure structural changes, and confirm diagnoses.

Gordon Elliott's Résumé

Gordon studied at the University of Wales, Cardiff, graduating in 2000 with a First Class BSc (Hons).  He completed his training with a pre-registration year at an independent practice in Warrington. 

Gordon has a wealth of experience as an optometrist, having worked in high street optometry practices, as well as within Warrington Hospital Optometry Department, where he was employed as a Senior Optometrist, on a sessional basis. His experience has given him exposure to a wide array of eye conditions.

Gordon also serves as a member of Cheshire & Merseyside Local Eye Health Network and Central Mersey Local Optical Committee, Cheshire Local Optical Committee as well as being an optometrist member on the General Optical Council's 'fitness to practice panel'.

Membership of Professional Organisations:
College of Optometrists
Association of Optometrists

Laraine Woodall, Practice Manager & Private Secretary

until her retirement in May 2020

Laraine was educated at Smithills Grammar School in Bolton. In 1963 she commenced her nursing training at Bolton District General Hospital, initially as a Cadet Nurse for two years then as a Student Nurse. She became a State Registered Nurse in 1969 and continued to work on the Acute Medical Unit until her marriage in 1970, when she left Bolton and moved to Warrington.
Laraine worked on the out-patient department at Warrington Infirmary until she left in 1971 to take a career break to bring up her children. In 1978 she returned to work within the Warrington Health Authority, firstly as a School/Clinic Nurse, based at Garven Place, and then as a Health Visitor Assistant, based at Woolston Clinic, where she gained her Family Planning Certificate.
In 1986 she returned to hospital nursing, working in the Elderly Care Unit at Warrington Hospital.
In September 1988 Laraine moved to the BUPA North Cheshire hospital where she opened the out-patient services. Over the next few years the department increased in size and Laraine progressed from Staff Nurse to Sister and then Out-Patient Manager until her retirement from nursing in 2004.

In January 2004 Laraine was invited by Mr Peckar to become his Private Secretary/Practice Manager as she was well acquainted with the majority of his patients, and his clinical practice, through working with him in the Outpatient Department (since he moved his Private Practice to Stretton in 1988).